The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

Though Peru has shown robust economic growth and relative resilience in the face of a global economic slowdown, many Peruvians continue to face a widening socioeconomic divide, poverty and exclusion from political life.  Surveys conducted by the polling firm Ipsos Apoyo show that Peruvians harbor growing mistrust and pessimism about their leaders. Last November, for example, the approval rating for the Peruvian Congress hovered at 24 percent.  Results from a 2011 survey indicated that 30 percent of Peruvians believed that their quality of life was stagnant despite economic growth and democratic advances.   

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Nepal has survived considerable political turmoil in recent years, including an armed conflict, failure of the Constituent Assembly to deliver a new constitution and the inability of leadership to form a sustainable government. Although the country has managed the political upheaval, recent events threaten the country’s chances for continued democratic change. We sat down with Ram Guragain, NDI senior political advisor for Nepal and a native Nepali, to discuss next steps for the country and how NDI is working with parties, elected officials and citizens in this turbulent time.

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